Stories and multimedia about the Statesman’s holiday season community campaign.

Season for Caring gives out first grants to agencies

Delilah Olais, 3, kisses her brother Noah, who is now 4 months. Parents Luis Olais, 21, and Keila Vasquez, 19, worry that both their kids may have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which Luis Olais has.JAY JANNER / AMERICAN-STATESMAN

This afternoon, the 12 Season for Caring agencies are receiving their first checks for $7,000. It is always a happy day when Season for Caring gets to give out funds because we know that it will go to helping the 12 featured families as well as hundreds of other families that these nonprofits serve.

All of the Season for Caring funds get collected and held by the Austin Community Foundation, which then writes the grant checks to the Season for Caring agencies and send out the tax receipts to donors. Recipients do not receive any cash. Instead, their agencies write checks to pay bills, purchase some of their needs for them or provide them with gift cards for a specific purpose.

The first check typically goes to helping the featured families with their most pressing needs as well as providing Christmas presents. This year the need has been so great and some of the needs have greatly changed since we first told the families’ stories.

And it will help Keila Vasquez and Luis Olais be able to move into their first apartment in January with their two children, 3-year-old Delilah and 4-month-old Noah.

Since launching this year, Season for Caring has raised $233,866 in monetary donations and $67,607 in in-kind donations, but we are still less than half-way to being able to do all the things our agencies want to be able to do for their clients throughout the year.

Read more about the families below, see what the biggest item on their wish list is and which agency nominated them.

Deloris Fieldsis a 26-year-old, single mother. She was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago, but now the cancer has metastasized to her bones. She and 1-year-old son Connor live in Taylor. Their biggest need is an apartment on the first floor. Nominated by: Breast Cancer Resource Center, 512-817-9775, bcrc.org.

Issa Noheli, 61, looks down at his 1-year-old granddaughter Vanessa during a walk with his family outside of their apartment in south Austin. The Noheli family are refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo who have resettled in Austin. Tom McCarthy Jr. for AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Issa Noheli’s family members no longer fear for their lives after living in refugee camps in Africa for 17 years. When one camp was attacked, Noheli lost his leg and is now on crutches. Their biggest need is a prosthetic leg. Nominated by: Interfaith Action of Central Texas, 512-386-9145, interfaithtexas.org

Sheila King and her family had three losses in two months: 15 year-old son, Austen, committed suicide; Sheila King’s husband Harrell and her mother Janie Chandler, both died from cancer. Their biggest need is home remodeling. Nominated by: CareBox Program, 512-296-2180, careboxprogram.org

Keila Vasquez and Luis Olais face his rare genetic disease, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which their 3-year-old daughter also has. They are waiting to find out about their infant son. Their need is tuition for Vasquez to go cosmetology school. Nominated by: SAFE (Stop Abuse for Everyone) Austin: Strong Start Program, 512-590-3114, safeaustin.org.

Jacob Rodriguez-Lopez is now a widower after after his wife died of cervical cancer. He’s also a single father to 4-year-old Emely, who has Down syndrome and now leukemia. His biggest need is financial donations to help them while he is caring for Emely during treatment. Nominated by: Hospice Austin, 512-342-4726; hospiceaustin.org

Rosabla Martínez-López holda her granddaughter Sofia Guerrero Mondragón as her daughter Kimberley Mondragón-Martínez looks on during their visit at the Hospice Austin’s Christopher House in October.RICARDO B. BRAZZIELL/AMERICAN-STATESMAN

The family of Rosalba Martínez-López, who died Dec. 2 from cervical cancer.Her family needs help with paying for the funeral and moving to their aunt’s house. Nominated by: Care Communities, 512-459-5883, carecommunities.org

Terry Markland is disabled and was once homeless. His biggest need is help recovering from knee surgery. Nominated by: Family Eldercare, 512-450-0844,familyeldercare.org.

Ashley McGill was thrown into homelessness after medical bills following a car accident. Though they are temporarily housed, she cannot make ends meet with debilitating head and neck pain. Her biggest need is financial assistance for rent and medical bills. Nominated by: Wonders & Worries, 512-329-5757, wondersandworries.org

Francisco Zuñiga-Echeverria,who is deaf, grew up in foster care after the death of his parents. After being homeless, he found LifeWorks and just needs a little help to be self-sufficient. His bigest need is a green Moped, which will allow him to have access to more job possibilities. Nominated by: LifeWorks, 512-735-2473;lifeworksaustin.org

Uliya Fazal Ahmad was abused after protecting her 14-year-old daughter from marriage and fled Afghanistan with her five children. Her biggest need is vocational training for her son, Mukhtar, to be able to support the family. Nominated by: Caritas of Austin, 512-646-1277, caritasofaustin.org

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About the Author

Nicole Villalpando writes about families for Raising Austin, as well as homes in Life & Arts and Real magazine and edits Life & Style, Gardening and Faith. She is also the editor of Season for Caring, the American-Statesman's annual charity campaign that has raised more than $7 million in cash and in-kind goods and services for area nonprofits since it began in 1999.She has been with the American-Statesman since 1999 and lives in Austin with her husband, two kids, two cats and one out-numbered dog.